The Misty Sun
by sanadayuina
Summary: Prequel of Yume to Memori to Kimochi da. Elena isn't even sure what happened—everything was just moving too fast for her to comprehend. But she, at the very least, was sure of one thing. She loved Vongola and Primo and she would try her best to keep the smile on Primo's face. Supporting his love-life and making friends with someone whose personality clashed with hers. (AlaGio)


Summary: Prequel of Yume to Memori to Kimochi da—mostly from Elena and OC's POV. Elena isn't even sure what happened—everything was just moving too fast for her to comprehend. But she, at the very least, was sure of one thing. She loved Vongola and Primo and she would try her best to keep the smile on Primo's face. Supporting his love-life and making friends with someone whose personality clashed with her, included.

Pairing: Main AlaGio, mention of one-sided DaeGio, growing DaeEle, possible AlaOC and forced GioOC alongside with the _future_ 1827.

Warning: Grammar errors, spelling errors, non-existent plot, OCs (I am afraid my OCs are Mary-Sues), OOC-ness (to be fair, we never really know the Primo Generation), character death, implied adultery, slash, straight, and a lot more including—again, the non-existent plot. Ah, and head-canon. Lots of it.

Beta: nightfayte

* * *

_**The Misty Sun**_

* * *

There… there…

She can hear the soft chime of the bell of the village church, which was rather faraway from where she was standingin front of the Vongola Mansion's gate—waiting for her boss, best friend, and friends to return from a faraway land.

_DooongDoooong_

And then there were people, many people who walked in front of the mansion with happy faces. Each passing Elena and giving a smile to the young feeling love for every member of the Famiglia.

_ , Signora Elena. Buonasera._

And she smiled back at the people who politely bid her good evening, waving slightly. Her long, wavy blonde hair was tied loosely at the nape of her neck, ruffled because the soft evening sunlight didn't bother her as she continued to stand in front of the gate, patiently, patiently, waiting.

.

_The old woman smiled to herself, pausing to gaze at her grandchildren. The twin boys looked at their grandmother with wide bluish-silver eyes—silently begging the woman to continue her story. A story of a distant place, of people unknown to them…_

_The woman reached out with her wrinkled hand, long fingers—calloused with years of handling both metal and wooden weapons, marked with small scars here and there just like the rest of her old, wrinkled, tired and thin body which had been elegantly dressed in an expensive kimono—ruffling one of the boy's long black hair. The boy look surprised before scooting closer to his grandmother. The other twin, the one with exactly the same face yet with an expression as free as the clouds itself unlike his brother, pouted, waving his arms in a silent demand—his red Chinese tunic's sleeves followed the action of the moving limbs while his platinum-blonde hair followed his heads' movement._

_Their grandmother chuckled, opening her arms in invitation which was gleefully accepted by both boys who clambered onto her laps. The one who wore the dark blue kimono silently sitting on her right while the other shouted happily, glued to his grandmother's left._

"_That beautiful woman's name was… Elena," the old woman said again._

.

After such a long time…

Elena had been waiting for today to come since Giotto, her beloved boss, had suddenly announced that Ugetsuwas taking too long to come back and had decided to go fetch him. From the groan which had escaped G's mouth at that time, Elena knew that Giotto was in one of his random moods which usually dragged the Famigliainto one problem or another.

_Ugetsu…_

Elena had blinked in surprise back then, noticing that indeed two years were _far too long_ for the man who had yet to come back—back then, in the flurry of fighting, scouting new members, forming alliances and just plain making havoc, it was hard to notice when someone didn't come back for a while. Especially since they had Alaude who once didn't come back at all for three whole years only to calmly state that he was busy settling a past problem.

And the problem which called Ugetsu back did not sound as daunting as Alaude's…

Eight years after Vongola was formed, Giotto was now twenty-four years old—they had come so very far in such a short amount of time and Elena couldn't be more proud than she was now.

Yet, there is a strange feeling which bugs Elena. Like something was about to start crumbling anytime soon.

She was already worried when a majority of the Vongola Guardians raised their hands to accompany Giotto in fetchingUgetsu. G was a given while Alaude and Daemon were curious about the far away land. Knuckle and Lampo stayed, but that did little to ease Elena's worry until Giotto cheerfully said that Cavallone, who were one of the closest allies they had, aside from CEDEF, and Giotto's best friend, would aid them if any trouble occurred. A promise they had already proven true in the span of ten months Giotto was away.

And since then, she had patiently waited. Waited and waited until one of Daemon's illusion in the shape of a falcon perched in her window one morning—brought a message that they would bearriving shortlyin Italy and that everything was fine.

Since then… Elena had stood in this exact place whenever she could, waiting.

_Oo~~**~~oO_

"Elena,_buonasera_!" Knuckle waved at her from a distance—Elena vaguely noticed that the soft chimes of the bell from the village's church had also been fading away since long ago.

Smiling brightly at Knuckle, Elena waved back, waiting for the man to come closer before answering. "Good evening, Knuckle," she said. "How is the village doing? And yourself today?"

Knuckle beamed at her, holding his bible closer to his chest before doing a gentlemanly bow to Elena. "_Grazie_ for asking. The village is doing great to the very maximum—and so am I." he smiles sheepishly. "How about yourself? You have been waiting here all day long?"

"Of course not," the blond laughed—soft and beautiful. "I have other thingsto do. I just come here when I have some time on my hands… you know I want to be the first to welcome them when they come back."

Her counterpart, her fellow Sun, nodded. "I understand your feelings," he says, and Elena noticed the hint of longing in his voice. Everyone had been missing the ones who were away. "Even Lampofeels as such. Oh, but I pity Alaude's right-hand man too."

"Oh, I know!" Elena exclaimed, remember the long haired male whowas usually always frantically running around doing chores for Alaude, who was now on the verge of a breakdown due to the amount of paperwork CEDEF—the organization Alaude had founded to support Vongola—now had to do, as both Vongola and CEDEF's bosses were away. "Poor man looks so miserable and lately he looks like he will just burst into tears every passing day…"

Knuckle opened his mouth to reply, but the look of utter surprise which suddenly took over Elena's entire face shut him up and he too, looked back to see what had madeher so surprised, before his face morphed into an expression of shock. Both Elena and Knuckle's surprise slowly changedinto smiles and they waved frantically.

A group of five men leisurely walked toward them, two of them waving back while the others just gave a smile or an indifferent look. The shortest man, one with bright blonde hair leading the group—occasionally stopped to greet other passerbys, once stopping completely to shake the hand of an old man and beginning to chat happily before being dragged away by a taller, red haired male.

When they finally stopped in front of Knuckle and Elena, the latter quickly threw herself to the man with bluish hair before quickly punchingthe man in the shirt in the stomach—while complaining about how disappointed shewas that Daemon only sent one letter to her. The man toppled over, cradling the slowly bruising area gingerly with a pained smirk. Knuckle brings the orientalman and the red haired man in a tight hug, thanking God again and again that they looked fine.

"Enough."

The sharp menacing voice came from the platinum-blonde haired man who was watching the exchange with contempt. Elena and Knuckle silently complied; knowing not to evoke the rage of the tired looking Frenchman. "I missed you guys." The shortest man of the group who stood beside Alaude, preventing the man's escape, Giotto, says happily, ignoring the glare from G who muttered that it was Giotto's own fault.

"I missed you too, Giotto." Elena says sincerely, reaching out to grab Giotto's hand before pausing when she notices a hand which gripped Giotto's sleeve tightly—for the first time she noticed that Giotto had not moved from his position the entire time, which was strange because usually the cheerful man would be the first to launch himselfintoa group hug.

"Giotto, who's that?" asks Knuckle, as he too noticed the rather small figure behind Alaude.

Alaude sighed heavily before moving out of their view, which made a girl with long black hair—just shorter than Giotto—appear in their line of sight. The girl—who, Elena noticed, was wearing Daemon's jacket to conceal what seemed to be quite similar clothes to the ones Ugetsu usually wore—blinked at the attention she received before wrinkling her nose in apparent disgust and haughtily moved behind Giotto, but not before giving them a hard look as if to say that they were below her and not worthy to be graced with her presence.

Ugetsu chuckled nervously, tugging at his shirt's collar. "Um, sorry. She's always like that…"

And by _like that_, did he mean that the girl always acted like she was above everyone?

"_Aw, is Senko-chan afraid of strangers_?" Daemon mocked the girl in English, but without the malice in his voice, Elena knew that Daemon was merely teasing the girl.

G snorted, before answering Daemon in rough English. "_Psh, I wish. The spoiled bitch should stop acting so haughty and accept that she is no longer home. She should stop acting like she owns the world._"

"G, stop that," Giotto say, patting the hand which gripped his slave tightly in an attempt to calm the girl—Elena almost thought the girl was crying because of G's harsh words but the ugly look the girl sent G quickly erased any doubts  
.

G, ignoring Giotto, continue to taunt the girl in English—which Elena knew only happen when G disliked someone, just like how G always taunted Daemon, Alaude, and Lampo. Giotto sighed tiredly before ushering them to go inside, promising Knuckle a formal introduction before talking to the sneering girl using a soft and gentle tone in Japanese, leading them into the mansion.

"I am sorry, she don't understand Italian just yet." Ugetsu jogged to Elena and Knuckle, leaving G and Daemon who were arguing with each other and Alaude who followed them at a much slower pace behind,apologized to them—answering their silent question about the usage of nodded while Knuckle started asking Ugetsu some questions.

In all of that, Elena knew one thing. She didn't like the girl. They had just met but there is something that rubs Elena the wrong way. It might be because the girl is beautiful yet she would wrinkle her nose like there was permanent dirt under it—which disfigured her beauty. It might be because of the sneer on the girl's face when G taunedt her, which really destroyed her beauty instantly and replaced it with the mask of some ugly demon. It might be her silent arrogance and haughtiness—a typical attitude from someone who was born from a noble family, something which reminded Elena about her old life that she hated.

She doesn't know who this girl is and why she is here to begin with, but knows that it really will bring change to her life. But for the better or the worse, she still doesn't know.

.

"_The girl sounds like Grandmother," one of the boys giggled. "One of the old maids once said that when you were young, you were beautiful, yet you used to wrinkle your nose and sneer at people's back, and it made you look like a demon!"_

"_Long!" snapped the kimono-wearing boy, for the first time showing some emotion. "_Father _always told you not listen to the maid's gossips! It's unbecoming."_

"_Ryuu, calm down." the old woman said, while Long grinned in victory. "And I wasn't like that, Long."_

_The indignant tone of his grandmother's voice make Long sobered instantly, muttering a soft sorry._

Oo~~**~~oO

_The girl looks awkward._

Elena mused when she steals glances at the girl between forkfuls of pasta. There is no other word for it, the girl looked indeed awkward, sitting together with them and facing a plate of pasta while wearing a simple-yet-still-looking-expensive kimono. Unlike Ugetsu, who also wore the same kind of garment but easily melted into his surroundings because of his easy going chatter and skillful use of fork and spoon, the girl look troubled. Knuckle who accidentally sat beside her was offering his help before dinner started—in Japanese—but the girl just shook her pretty little head stubbornly before poking her cousin (_Ugetsuhad informed Knuckle of that before with a bright smile_) and holding the fork in a silent demand in front of Ugetsu who laughed pleasantly and explained to her in Japanese about how to use it (or so it seem to Elena who doesn't understand any Japanese, although she could recognize the language itself). After Ugetsu stopped talking, the girl just went back to stare at her plate without offering any form of thanks for Ugetsu who didn't look put-out by it and simply continuedto talk to Alaude's right-hand man who had been dragged there by said Cloud Guardian despite the black-haired male's protest about catching up on sleep with Alaude back.

"Stop staring, my dear," Daemon smirked from his seat beside her. "Or I will think you are interested in her in _that_ way."

Looking at Daemon with disgust, Elena pinces the man's arm lightly. "That's the most… disgusting thing I've heard today, Daemon—and believe me I went through a lot today," Elena says.

"But you find a male and male relationship rather… endearing, though—so I thought—" Daemon winced when the pinch became stronger.

"I do support your feelings for _him_," Elena says while stealing a glance at Giotto whowas laughing at something a smiling G had said. "And I find it beautiful. Love is beautiful. But the idea of that girl and I just rub me the wrong way."

.

"_Erm, everyone—I believe that you noticed the addition we have here and an introduction is in order_," Giotto begins when everyone's plates are empty, his smooth voice holding the barest hints of an Italian accent when he speaks in English.

Persley, Alaude's right-hand man, went to open his mouth to question why Giotto had to talk inEnglish when Alaude, who sat not far from Giotto, shut him up with a glare. The sooner it ended the sooner he could go back to his own bed, after all. He didn't need his own subordinate to prolong this with useless questions which would be answered later. Taking the hint, the green eyed man nervously closed his mouth and nodded at Giotto to continue.

Smiling brightly, Giotto motioned to the girl. "_Here is Hibari Senko—or it would be Senko Hibari—Ugetsu's cousin,_" sunset colored eyes twinkled when the girl gave a short nod in acknowledgement. "_What to say… because of some family problems—which included a fight about family succession, arranged marriage, and still-not-happening coming of age ceremony although for a woman, twenty years in Japan is considered ancient—_" Senko huffed, averting her gaze from the smirking Daemon who mouthed '_old_'. "_—After threatening her father that she would come with us if she not only allowed to escaping the arranged marriage, which would happen when she finished her coming of age ceremony, but also to give her the right to be the successor for the Hibari family—which is unheard of, but she refuses to allow any of her step-siblings to become the successor. She is here because her father denied her request until the very end. She is unwilling, but her pride refused her to take back her vow, and I believe there is also pride which make his father believe Senko would never follow her vow and I believe she will be here until her father calls her back with news that she wants to heard. Although in this matter, you are your father daughter. It will take him years to call you back. I hope you know that and are prepared._" And there is a disapproving tone in Primo's voice, a soft warning and something else. The girl—woman, although Elena can't believe it, she looked so _young_, well, Ugetsuwa similar, looking far younger than their age—was shrunken back into her chair, and that instant everyone in the room knew, if they didn't already, that albeit all her haughtiness and stubbornness she showedduring dinner, Giotto was someone she would never cross.

Smiling in satisfaction because of something only he knew, Giotto continued. "_I believe your older brothers will try to talk to your father and hold the position they want to give to you for you, though. But as long as you are here you will try to be at least… civil, Senko. Okay, that's the reason Senko is here. Now, I believe that you guys will… try to be at least tolerate each other, no?_"

O-oh!

Elena's eyes widened. So that it! That was the reason for the long introduction. Giotto knew they wanted to know the reason why he brought a civilian and a seemingly defenseless one to boot, into the Mafia (Lampo even whispered something about the girl being Primo's future bride or something but that was simply impossible). And the Vongola boss had also noticed the strained and tense atmosphere.

Elena almost thought Giotto was ignoring the girl's hostility on purpose too…

Now the woman almost felt ashamed to eventhink of doubting Giotto. After all, if she can't even trust Giotto, who else couldshe trust? Daemon?

Definitely not Daemon. They were indeed close friends—but Elena is anything but blind and naïve. Her best friend is, indeed, someone she should_not_ take lightly.

"_Now… ah, you know Alaude, G, and Daemon already. I will introduce the others to you. The women who sits beside Daemon is Elena, our second Sun._" Elena, nodded at the girl who only looked at her blankly with dull brown eyes, surprised that Giotto decided to start with her of all people. "_The one sitting beside Ugetsu is Persley._" The man only nodded too, not reaching out to shake her hand—which something Persleywould usually do—not that the girl attempted to reach her hand out for such an action. "_And then the one beside yourself is our Sun Guardian, Knuckle. Ah, Knuckle—please don't touch her without her consent._" Elena smiled in amusement when Knuckle did attempt to grab the younger woman's hand for a handshake but she just scooted away, something akin to shock appearingin her eyes while she cradling her hands to her chest—as if to protect herself. Knuckle smiling sheepishly and apologised to her, which was surprisingly answered with small nod. "_And the final one is Lampo, our Lightning Guardian. He is the closest to you in age so I think you will be great friends… or not._" And _not_ indeed because those two suddenly started to glare at each other, Lampo said something about how she was below him and the likes. "_Lastly, Senko is yet to know Italian—so if you want to communicate with her, use Japanese, Chinese, or English. That's all._"

Oo~~**~~oO

Primo is… beautiful.

But he is also strong.

_[His smile is beautiful.]_

_[His tears are beautiful.]_

_[His eyes are beautiful.]_

_[His words filled with strength and full of resolution.]_

_[His flame is bright and unwavering.]_

_[His _everything_is beautiful and strong.]_

Primo loves to laugh. His laugh is melodious and reminds her of the way the wind sounded when it passed the leaves. Soft and comforting.

His eyes… his eyes always sparkled with mirth and laughter. His eyes were the same color of sunset. The eyes which will watch them with kindness and love.

And then his tears which would beautifully fall for another's shining, silent tears which spoke louder than any words about his unconditional love for his friends and family.

And what she loves the most about Primo is his strength.

When she was leaning at the railing of one of the balconies of the Vongola Mansion to look up at the night sky—the unchanging and beautiful sky—she can't help but let out a small smile. Because… the sky always remindsher of Primo. There is no doubt about it.

Primo is the sky itself.

He would accept anyone who cameto him. He will not discriminate and treated everyone equally. He will give his attention fairly to all them. He will understand all of them.

And although she is just an unwanted addition to the sky, a wild bird which refused to be owned but owned itself, refused to give but is given to, the sky will just accept her the way she is. Because that is how the sky is.

"It's always asurprise, one never knows you can smile."

The woman blinked at the sky when she heard the sudden voice. She is, indeed, surprised because she felt no presence coming from the man who stood behind her, leaning on the glass's frame—his shadow told Senko. Turning her head without giving away any sign that she felt surprised—her smile morphed into a thin line—she is now locking eyes witha bored looking Alaude.

"Ah, you," she says in Japanese, now understanding why she couldn't feel anything. This is Alaude—the one said to be strongest in Primo's Famiglia, even stronger than Daemon—Alaude who was able to bring her to her knees in less than five minutes into a battle. Alaude, the one who showed her that outside of her small, beautiful, and closed world is a vaster and unknown world where a lot of other stronger people are resided, ready to be attacked and to be attacking.

The man who she instantly branded as a rival and a goal.A man who enjoyed playing with her. A man who she swore she would defeat and swore in return to never be defeated by her.

Needless to say, their relationship is not the best.

"I would say the same to you," Senko says, breaking the tense silence, when she comprehends what Alaude said to her.

"Thinking about Primo?" is asked, although it was more a statement than a question.

Senko staring at Alaude, a small smirk appearing in her lips. "Worry not, I am not going to steal your Sky."_Like I would everbe able to_, she added sarcastically to herself.

"Woman…" Alaude shakes his head and starts to walk away from Senko, whose smirk morphed into a scowl when muttering, _"I have a name, Cloud."_

.

"Looks like the only ones who are really able to stand her are just Giotto, Ugetsu, and Daemon." G says absentmindedly to Elena, glancing briefly at the balcony's door where Daemon had just disappeared to talk to the Japanese woman right after Alaude had left the room, followed by Persley. "Though the fact that Alaude and that bitch are able to have a decent conversation is surprising."

"Don't call her that," Giotto chided his childhood friend. "I already told you to fix your manner of speaking. Remember the daughter of the De Luca Famiglia? You called her a bitch too and the outcome wasn't pretty."

"De Luca's daughter is decent enough too," Elena shakes her head. "Unlike her father."

"Uh-yeah. But that isn't the problem." G retorts stubbornly.

Giotto sipped his water quietly before glancing at the balcony, where Daemon and Senko were apparently engaged in a very interesting discussion (_knowing them, Giotto didn't want to know about what._) "Well," Giotto says carefully. "Names aside… they are… rather alike. Although that makes me wonder sometimes why they can't get along—and the fact that Daemon and Senko get along _splendidly_—" Elena can hear the bitter tone in Giotto's voice, the pained grimace on that handsome face which convinced Elena that Giotto was speaking from an_unfortunate_ experience. "—Or maybe because Senko and Alaude… are both prideful… they can't really get along although they are both… uh—"

"Battle-freaks," G supplied helpfully, which Giotto had to agree with because of the lack of a better word. "Just like her entire family—battle-freaks, they are. If Alaude was Asian, I would think that he and Ugetsu were swapped as babies."

Ugetsu suddenly behindthem,spoke up. "Okita-dono and Shiranui-dono are not like that though—so some of the family's branches are like mine." he interjected with a wide smile.

"Who?" Elena asks, looking at Ugetsu with interest right as Lampo and Knuckle also joined their little circle.

G laughed, wiping the tears which escaped from his eyes. "Oh yeah, they're strange alright. Senko's brothers," he added for Elena's sake. "But that says nothing. Okita is a war-freak, and a goddamn genius if he really thought up all those war tactics—must come from the father, eh, heard every Hibari's family head are all geniusesin three aspects; tactics, diplomatics, and weaponry, thus why they're situated in the bloody _Ryuuku Kingdom_ since the Heian Era. The only reason he's not a battle-freak and unable to claim his position as successor is because he's blind. And Shiranui must've hit his head hard when he was a child—his lack of memory is really something, although he is surprisingly able to remember those complicated dances and music. Though to be able to _get lostin his own home_! And being an air-head to top all of that. Oh god, are you sure he's part of that demonic family? He's more suited to be your goddamn brother!"

Ugetsu smiled sheepishly when Lampo prodded for more stories. He is curious about what exactly happened to his… big brothers in the span of ten months.

G and Giotto both started re-telling their journey from when they encountered their first storm on their way to Japan, about how they were chased away from Edo, about how they know that although Asari is a Japanese man he lived not in Japan itself but on an island called the RyuukuKingdom, a part of China and also one of the places where foreigners were able to visit due to Japan's current closed-country policy—thus why Senko understood Japanese, Chinese, and English, while Ugetsu himself understood Italian and Dutch in addition to the other three. And then from there,Asarishared stories too—briefly he told them about how the Hibari Family, which were part of the Tachibana Family in the Heian Era, were all relocated to the Island to monitor the Kingdom and about how, slowly the Tachibana morphed into countless small families with the Hibari as the main family and made their own small communities, the reason why their clothes, tradition, and mannerismswere quite behind how the general Edo Era were. He also told them about some funny stories which happened to G and Giotto when they were in the island that both insisted to not share and tried to stir the conversation to things that happened to Alaude and Daemon the part where G and Giotto were both stunned when being introduced to Ugetsu's family and some of the other people, Elena can't help but let out a laugh when Giotto admitted that he always thought Ugetsu rather handsome and now he knows that it run in the family because most of the people Giotto met were all handsome and beautiful in various degrees. G then supplied that the most beautiful woman in the village just happened to be one of Senko's step-sister and G laughed sadistically when he informed the group that Giotto might've been spell-bound when looking at her.

"That woman's sister," G shakes his head sadly. "God, you remember the bitch Giotto mentioned earlier? That De Luca's woman? She is said to be the most beautiful in South Italy—and god bless she really is—but you could say that the eastern charm really does make you wonder. That girl was just barely fourteen, Elena! You should look at how Giotto practically drooled when he set his sight on the brat ten years younger than himself."

Giotto's protest is ignored by the others who openly laugh at the blushing man, including Elena who shakes her head in wonder.

.

"_That moment, Elena briefly though that maybe that girl being herself was not exactly what it seemed. Elena had hoped that the girl was just pretending, that she was actually a nice girl. That everything was just her mask. Elena knew at a later date that that was not the case. The girl was loved—really loved. Being the only daughter of her father's legal wife made her spoiled and arrogant. It was not as if she was a particularly bad girl, but the girl was a selfish and she knew that she was practically above almost everyone else in her family. And that made her want _more_ than what she already had. It was a bad habit, but a habit nevertheless, for her to look down and make light of another person's everything. Her family situation was practically very much like ours, where the strong ruled. Elena and that girl, although both raised in a noble family, couldn't be more different. While Elena was the epitome of a saint, the girl was what Daemon called a perfect snob."_

Oo~~**~~oO

Elena is…

Downright beautiful. Senko knows that and there is no reason for her to not admit that fact. Senko, with all her faults was not one for denial and she sees no sense in envying that fragile beauty. If anything, she cherished beautiful things just like Primo cherished his family.

Though, to be honest, there is something which bugged Senko about Elena.

It might be the closeness Elena and Daemon had—like any of the other Hibari family members, Senko is possessive, and although she loves Daemon not unlike she how loves herself, there is no ounce of romantic feeling in it so that reason was… absurd. Ah, but it might also the fact that said _Mademoiselle _hated her. Being dense didn't help in battle, and being particularly insensitive to how other felt for her in the place she lived was just plain suicidal. She had picked up the fact that Elena hated (_ah, hate is a word too strong for it. She strongly dislikes me_) her just as quickly as she knows that Daemon is someone she knew worth her _love_.

Not that she particularly cared that Elena hate her.

She _might_ not envy her closeness with Daemon nor her beauty—she herself has a strong relationship with Daemon and was beautiful in her own right, if she said so herself—but the fact that Primo was able to laugh… around her… being close to her made her feel irritating. It was not as irritating as G was, that man was always, always sticking to Primo, always watching at her with disapproving eyes, talking to her like she was some prostitute someone picked up from the road…

Darn, she hated G…

Oh, Senko knows alright, for G, she is some mixed female version of Alaude _and_ Daemon—the latter more than the former, no matter what _G_ said to her—and that fueled his hatred to her. Not that she minded, she herself also hated G with passion.

Lampo too, from the start, their relationship was like cat and dog—in a completely different level than her relationship with Alaude. Both are spoiled, arrogant, selfish and used to having their own way—they were also the youngest, although Lampo is only a year or so younger than Senko. They always look down on each-other, accusing each other to be brats and so on. It was needless to said that Senko couldn't get along well with the newest addition to her life. And she thought _Alaude_would be her biggest problem in Italy—due to the fact she decided to always avoid G or hid behind Primo or Daemon if she can't help but encounter G. Turns out _Lampo_ is the source of her temper—which she was barely able to control and tried to hide between unreadable faces presented to people who didn't know her to keep her image—to flare.

But she admits, she quite likes Knuckle.

Knuckle is… polite, and his honest eyes do not judge her—similar to, but not as beautiful as Primo's. There are rarely people who do not judge and Senko admired people like that—because Senko is also the kind of person who would judge people, and she was usually wrong. Not that people who judged her were particularly wrong, for they who had an intelligence even just an ounce better than a pigs, at least.

Only, in Senko's opinion—most people are no-better than mere pigs.

.

_Red… red…_

People rushing around her, running to the ground floor and defending their home from the sudden attack. Holding her breath, she looks down from the window and almost gags—the scene is not pretty. Usually the attack never went as far as it has now and stopped just beyond the forest which circled their home.

_Screams…_

People are screaming, Elena doesn't know from whose side—but she doesn't care. She usually just helped the wounded and prayed for the dead. This was new to her and it pained her to see people dying in front of her eyes.

_White…_

Suddenly, flakes of snow fell from the sky, as if to make the image more ethereal. Elena gasped when Giotto flew in front of the window, urging her to step back and go deeper inside, along with Senko. Elena shakes her head stubbornly, if she doesn't follow the order when it is first issued, she won't do it now.

Giotto was going to argue, but then, something caught his eyes and he thought better—he flew off and start attacking a group of storm flame holders who were ready to blow up the manor. Then, something caught Elena's eyes and she screamed.

_Dark… something dark flashed in her eyes._

_Along with red… blood…_

_Staining the thin, white layer of snow on the ground…_

_And she screamed… she screamed like she had never before…_

_And then footsteps, she is running as fast as she can. The blue satin of her dress fluttered wildly and she discarded her shoes._

_Running… and running…_

"DAEMON!"

.

She doesn't care what might happen to her. She doesn't care. She doesn't even listening to the servants who called for her, begging her to stop.

What stopped her is the surprisingly strong grip on her arms by the black haired Japanese woman who had appeared suddenly by her side—or so it seemed to Elena in her hazy mind. The slanted brown eyes glares at her, and whispering lowly in not-yet-perfect and heavily accented Italian she says, "Where you thinking you going?"

There is anger in the woman's voice, not that Elena cared when she struggled against the grip of the shorter woman. "Let me go! Let me go!" she screams, frustrated tears start to prick her eyes. "Daemon is hurt! Don't you care? Let me go!"

"Primo told us not to go," Senko says, her grip becoming stronger—not caring that she might hurt the woman. "I don't fancy myself getting hurt over a pointless thing like that."

"POINTLESS? POINTLESS!" Elena is now screaming, hitting Senko with her free hand. "Daemon is my friend—_your_ friend! And you said it is pointless? You heartless—"

"Primo _ordered_ us to not go," the woman answered stubbornly—ignoring the hits. "My loyalty here layswith him. And Daemon is strong."

"I don't care! I don't care! Let me go, I am going to save Daemon!"

"DAEMON DOESN'T NEED SAVING!" the woman also screamed—momentary stunning Elena because it was the first time Senko had ever raised her voice.

Panting lightly, the Japanese woman shook her head. "Fine, you stubborn aristocrat," she spat. "I will come with you."

The moment Senko released her grip, Elena is running again—leaving Senko wincing when she discardsmultiple layers ofhakama and tying her long shelves up quickly, before running after Elena, two wooden tonfas appearing in her hands.

.

The moment Elena steps out of the door to the garden, she is frozen at what is in front of her eyes, enabling Senko to catch up with her.

What she saw from one of the upper floor window was already disgusting, but looking at it up close made the reality hit her hard. Her whole body shivering, she shook her head wildly, trying to reject the whole scene. But a strong, yet oddly comforting grip on her shoulder makes Elena open her eyes to turn and look straight at the usually bored brown eyes which not strangely, sparkled with something.

"Calm down," Senko says, a smile—a smile which was usually only offered to Daemon and Primo and very rarely Ugetsu and Knuckle—greeted Elena. "This is not too bad—"

And the awe and surprise on Elena disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Not _too_ bad?" she spat. "Then you ever see something worse than _this_?"

"Nope," Senko answered easily, make Elena itch to hit her again. "But it can be _worse_. I told you not to go—it is your choice. I still don't believe Daemon needs saving, but you do. Now go. And please also die when you are on it."

Elena stared at the shorter woman, before shaking her head—an amused smile on her beautiful face. "Fine," she says before running again, Senko followed closely albeit said that she was going to her death.

.

_This woman is brave_.

That was what Senko thought when she ran after Elena—attacking the ones who tried to lay their hands on the two of them.

Senko might seem non-threatening, with only a pair of wooden sticks in her hands and the small, lithe body structure every Asainhad,although she and Ugetsu had better nutrition than the ones in Japan itself thus they are considered taller even though they were still… very small for those bulky males around her—but she was no fool, one could even say she that she was a sly coward, one of the people who ever called her that _was_ Alaude. She detested entering a battle she doesn't know she will win if she can help it—and people who are running free to attack them usually meant they were too weak to attract the notice of Vongola Guardians and could be taken care of even for people with no flame like herself. Even though in the condition where she held no flame to better defend herself, she was one of the stronger people in her family, and her gift in wielding weaponry only come second after her father—thus why she believed she hadevery right to succeed her father—no sibling of hers, brothers or sisters ever wonin one on one combat against her for one reason or another. She was also on par with some of Guardians in the matter of physical aspect—though because the fact that she has no flame, she is still considered weaker than them.

But Elena… this woman…

A woman Senko always looked down…

She has something that Senko doesn't.

Loyalty…?

Senko is loyal to herself, to her family's name, to Daemon, to Primo _andhis Family_. But Senko doesn't believe Daemon can be defeated that easily. Because, Senko never thinks Daemon can die. Defeated, yes. Die? No… never… not Daemon.

.Kindness.

Everything that Senko lacked and she never saw herself having it. Raised as astrong and prideful princess—in the harsh environment of the Hibari family where the strong ruled and in a land not theirs—she had been prepared to always let others go, to always look down at other people weaker than her, to never pledge her loyalty to another living being but herself, to be sly, to be the strongest.

Senko is strong. But Elena is also strong in a way very different from herself. Senko might even say that Elena is _stronger_ than her.

She does admit meeting with the Vongola Family back in Ryuuku really did change her—for the better? She doesn't know. She only knows that the her back then wouldn't ever give her loyalty to Daemon or Primo. To runfor a defenseless woman and put her own life in danger—as much as she knew that most of people attacking them were weak—just to make sure she was safe, was something she never would've done before.

"_Oh god, what have you done to me, Primo…?_" she asked herself in Japanese, striking a particularly large man in the head with a satisfying crack and a happy gleam in her eyes.

.

Elena's pained scream made Senko freeze mid attack. Scowling at the man in front of her before finishing her strike and wiping her own blood from the cut on her face with disgust (_she sincerely hoped it would leave no scar or the one who made the scar would be cursed to hell and back_) before turning to Elena—just to freeze again.

There, cradled in Elena's trembling hands lay Daemon. Blood gushing from the place where he had been stabbed in the chest—with the blade still inside—his face pale and breath labored.

Senko gasped in surprise, quickly rushing to Daemon and faling to her knees besides Elena—not caring about the pool of blood and mud around Daemon which stained her silk blue kimono gripping his hand frantically. She feels her own blood turning cold when she notices that the hand she holds is almost colder than the snow around them and she let out a small whimper. If she was thinking clearly, she would know that her family would have a heart-attack from the display of care and.

_In the end… she was human too…_

"Daemon…" she is calling the man's name over and over, momentarily forgetting everything when the man who quickly wormed his way toward her heart—the only man she had ever trusted as much as she trusted and loved herself… because that man is herself… the man who is similar to her in more ways than anyone else was, who could understand her—let out another shuddering breath.

Elena looked at Senko—stunned at the display of… Elena wouldn't call it weakness. Caring for another person, being scared for another person… that just meant you loved them. So, what is this? The sadness that the girl showed for Daemon… the grief, the… fear…

Elena never knew the seemingly emotionless woman who only thoughtof herself and Primowas able to have that kind of expression. Never knewthat the extent of her feelingsfor Daemon went this far—went as far as her discarding her haughty nature and looking like a scared child. Elena might have… misunderstand this Japanese woman.

.

"Calm down," Elena says, allowing amusement to play in her eyes when she recalls the girl using the exact same words to her not long ago.

It is almost funny that Elena is the one who is now calm and Senko the who looks like she will break, the way they were not long ago. Maybe, in some twisted way, knowing that the younger woman was able to show companionship to another person made Elena realise that she is also human who has a bad and good side and calmed her down instantly to thinkof a way to safe Daemon.

"_OSEN! ELENA!_" Ugetsu's voice then reminded them of their surroundings when a barrier made of frozen water surrounded them—instantly separating them from the oncoming attack from an enemies—and the man who made it stood in front of the barrier, shouting to be heard over all the commotion. "What are you two—will Daemon be okay, Elena?"

"I think so," Elena nods, hand quickly pulling the blade out of Daemon's chest—wincing when Daemon let out a strangled scream, which made Senko's eyes widen and rest on Elena, pleading.

Elena smiledin assurance to the woman who—to Elena's surprise—calmed instantly and cradled Daemon's hand close to her chest and muttering something in Japanese to the man, her weapons long gone. Elena then moved both her hands to the wounded area—concentrating her sun flameand starting the process to regenerate cells.

.

"_For that woman, Primo and Elena were brilliant. They radiated the light which warmed her heart. She loved them both—she and Elena might not seem to have the best relationship, if anything, they loved to quarrel and debate. Elena disliked how that woman always looking down on other person lives while disregarding the fact that they were also human like them, people who had family and friends who would cry for their death. That woman also disliked how 'soft' Elena and Primo were—along with Daemon and Alaude, she was actually one of few people in the Famiglia who thought that if they didn't want to be killed, they had to kill. But slowly and surely, they began to understand that they loved each other… Elena and that woman—their relationship was described as one likened to that of siblings by most of the Vongola. They quarreled, they teased each other, they protected each other…"_

"… _Just like our family…" the quiet boy said, grabbing his grandmother's hand._

"_But I agree with Elena!" the other twin exclaimed. "I don't like killing! Killing is bad."_

"_But—"_

"_Bad or not, it depends on yourself. Most of us thought that winning was everything—some, like me think that as long as we win, we don't care about how. Some like your father, my own son, think that it one should always fight fair. We are family—we don't have to be the same, but we still love each other, regardless. It is the same with killing or not killing people, follow your own ideology."_

_The two boys nodded their heads, mulling over what their grandmother had said._

_The old woman closed her eyes briefly, trying to listen to the sound of the wind in the short moment of tranquility._

Oo~~**~~oO

In the Vongola Mansion, there were certain degrees of difference about how one would treat the ones below them in position.

That was what Senko noticed after she grudgingly lived in that crowded and smaller place than her own home for a year.

As a guest—something that Senko always liked to point out to Giotto, although she must admit Giotto is right, and she had better start accepting that she is now part of the family—Senko never really cared about the lower subordinate, servants, and maids. One can say she only knew the inner circle of Vongola—not that she ever bothered to meet and get to know other person. But she noticed that even the inner circle of Vongola had their own way to treat servants, maid, and their subordinates.

Giotto, for example, while keeping his position as the leader, was quite down to earth—always smiling and being gentle towards everyone under his wing without discrimination. Lampo is vastly different that the leader—he is snobbish and even have worse _ore-sama_ complex than Senko, and that was saying something—always ordering everyone, even Giotto as he pleased. G, Ugetsu, and Knuckle treat their subordinates with several levels of familiarity and politeness—understanding and never being difficult for the servants and maids. Alaude and Daemon are almost like Senko when she was home, indifferent to the servants and maids—but being a good boss and keeping a somewhat good relationship with their subordinates. Elena has no direct subordinates, but she has her own group of medicswhich she shares with Knuckle and she always treated them like they were in the same status as her—she kept only small gaps between herself and even the lowliest servants and maids too, always replying to their greeting cheerfully and often talking to them like friends.

"Senko!Senko!"

Elena called the woman's name again, irritated with the way she often dozed off as if she hadn't had enough sleep. Elena knew better, the woman was a sloth and she slept at least ten hours minimum in a normal day—if Elena didn't know that fighting and training wasnecessary for Senko, like many Hibari, as much as she needed air to breath, Elena would wonder how this epitome of laziness was able to drag herself to train before breakfast and have random spars with Alaude, G, or Lampo.

"Uh… what…?" Senko finally answered, making Elena flick the younger woman's forehead with her finger.

After some time, they found out that they could be a rather… good friends. Or rather, Elena and Senko began accepting and tolerating each other before slowly bonding due to their similarities and common interests—which included their love for Primo and Daemon.

"Your hand stopped moving." chided Elena, frowning at the blank look the woman gives her. "Oh, come on. You're the one who always complained about how you need clothes—" And she is right—Senko didn't bring enough clothes for her long stay, so now her clothes were already worn out or damaged here and there, some even beyond saving. "—And you always refused to wear gowns and dresses. After Ugetsu finally made you this loom and bought you enough silk, you should at least move your hand. This winter going to bea harsh one and you are going to get married in the spring. You should start making your clothes for it."

Senko winced at the mention of her marriage.

A marriage was why she escaped—no, threatened her father and came to this place. But here she is, going to get married nonetheless. But at least now ofher own free will.

Not out of love. No.

Well, she does… like her soon-to-be-husband in some sense, just like how she grow to like the Vongola and it is members for themselves and not only for Primo and Daemon—just like how he able to sit beside Elena and overcome their difference. But, that reason alone is not enough for her to marry. Marriage was like… binding herself to something and she preferred to let her wings free—just like how Primo let her to do whatever she want.

But for her now, Primo is someone who is most important to her—his happiness is above anyone's else. And because Daemon says so…

Because not long ago Daemon finally let Primo go and be happy with Alaude, because Daemon only wants for Primo's happiness… because if even Daemon could do something like that for Primo—Senko… won't mind being tied.

.

"_Giotto is asked for marriage from _who_?" the cold voice from Daemon pierced the stunned silence of the room. "Forget from who. _why_?"_

_Persley fidgeted nervously and rose to his feet, reading the paper in his hand again before answering nervously, "It seems that Cappo and Primo's closeness is being questioned by the higher-ups is the church—not to mention both are old enough to, no, it says, they are old enough to _have_ to marry but see no interest on doing so. H-homosexuality is an offense issued by the DeLuca Famiglia and they asked for permission from the church to set Primo down if Primo admitted to being enamored with Cappo. They will take it back if Primo or Alaude prove themselves by marrying a woman. And Marietta DeLuca is being offered for Primo if he so dare to be... a man. It seems that the church are under DeLuca's control. But… if the church said yes… it seem that they have a legal reason to… bring Primo down without we have any right to attack back or the consequences would be dire."_

"_No!" snapped Elena. "No. No way! It's just the reason for DeLuca to take control on Vongola! One way or another, we're screwed!"_

_Everyone in the room were too shocked to comment on Elena's language. The woman looked really angry, her usual passiveness flaring furiously. "Their reason is not good enough! What's with this make-believe reason? A lot of men and women older than them are still single and they have no right to force them to marry! It's usually, usually…"_

"_I agree," Knuckle said. "I—God said it is wrong for two of the same sex to be together. But you two love each other and are happy, and that is enough. No one but yourself, should judge you."_

_Primo sat in his chair, hiding his face. "I—"_

"_Shut up, Primo," Daemon snapped. "I gave up on you not for you to give up on Alaude!"_

_Alaude let out a long shuddering breath from where he stood, hand shaking when he fingers his platinum-blonde hair. "I can just go back to Fr—"_

"_Don't even think of it!" G growled. "Think about Giotto, damn it!"_

"_Giotto…" Lampo whispered, patting the older man's shoulder. "I-it will be okay."_

"_I don't know, Lampo," Giotto said, his voice hitching._

"_It will be okay! We can think about something!" Ugetsu tried to get everyone's mood up, and smiled brightly.  
"… Say," Senko—who from the start, was strangely quiet—asked. "It didn't say that it _had_ to be Primo who got married, right?"_

_Elena, sensed something would come from the girl, barked at Persley to clarify. "Yes," Persley finally says. "It says, either Primo orCappo. What are you implying?"_

_There is a pause. "… I can marry Alaude," Senko said, her face pale and she look pained. "It will be better… I wish… I wish Primo can be happy."_

_Daemon scowled at his protégé—some weeks after his death-or-life situation, he found out that Senko has awakened her flame, which was notsurprising for him that it turned out to be Mist, and decided to train her. "Good idea—brilliant. But, no." he said. "Senko, my dear, like hell I will let you marry this prick even if it is for Primo. I know you can live without love, but I want you to be happy."_

"_Agreed," G, surprisingly nodded. "I still hate you, woman, but I don't hate you enough to let you copulate with that bastrad without love."_

"_It would be for Primo's…"_

"_I don't care," Primo said, glaring at Senko. "I don't want you to do it… it will just hurt you. Alaude…"_

_Alaude looked at Senko, his bluish-silver eyes and Senko's brown own meet. The Frenchman finally nodded. "I like you, Senko," he admitted, for the first time that he liked someone other than Primo. "And I can see myself married to you—but it is wrong. It is unlike you."_

_Senko smiled bitterly. "I like you too, Alaude. If not, I would not propose this crazy idea…"_

"_Remember why you ran from home, Osen!" Ugetsu, the ever calm Ugetsu, marched to his cousin and shakes her shoulders harshly. "You didn't want a forced marriage, you don't even want marriage in general and just want to secure _that_ position for your mother's—"_

"_And I don't want another to—"_

"—_You act unlike yourself," Elena said, tears running down from her face. "Please, Senko."_

"_I beg of you," Daemon said, a pained expression on his usually calm face. "We can use your idea—but it shouldn't need to be you…"_

"_I can do it," Elena said. "Alaude, marry me instead. Anything—but to let Primo down."_

"_NO!" Senko, Daemon, and Primo shouted in the same time._

_Senko, wriggled out of her cousin's grip, walked to Elena and hugged her—closely followed by Daemon who then kissed both of the women's heads. "We can find someone," Persley, who also looked reluctant to let Elena or Senko marry his superior._

"_But, who?" Knuckle said. "Marriage like that would just burden everyone._

"_It is either me, or Elena," Senko says again, releasing Elena and looking straight at Giotto—the man can see the fear and urgencyin those slanted brown eyes. "The purpose of this marriage is not only to protect Primo and Vongola—but also to let Alaude and Primo…be happy. And that iswhy, we have to let them love each other. It can only be done if the one who marries Alaude knows about the true nature of the marriage. But, I won't let Elena do it. She is far too important for me…"_

_Elena couldn't help but feel touched. After all, this was the woman whom she disliked and disliked her back just few months ago. But, she couldn't let her—_

"_You are also too important for me," Daemon sasaysid coldly to Senko. "Do you forget already? We are one, Senko. I am you, and you are me. I will not let someone who is like my other half to—"_

"_I am not going to sacrifice myself, dear," Senko said. "That is not my nature. I will get something out of this marriage to make this even."_

"… _State it," said Alaude._

"_Vongola is like my second family, I love it more than anything beside my own family. I wish to protect Vongola, my own family back home, and myself. Alaude, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met—and I know I can count on you to protect Vongola, my family, and myself. I will marry you on two condition; first you shall not need to protect me nor tie me down, for I have pride and I am quite strong—I ask you to let me be free even after we get married, for I will do the same to you and I can always leave you when I see the need of it. Second, protect Vongola and my family as long as you live. Swear it and you will be tied tothis duty even if I die, even if we are to break the marriage—and then I will see ourselves even. If you can, give me an heir too."_

"… _Why?" asked Primo, voice small and uncertain._

"_You are my most important someone, Primo," Senko said. "I love you for you freed me—for you show me the world, for you changed me to the better. I wish to make you happy, and Alaude is the one who will make you happy more than anyone else. That is why, I swear that I will… project the union you and Alaude have and try my best to keep you two together as long as that is what you want."_

"_I still don't see why it have to be you," Daemon said bitterly. "I love both you and Elena equally. For you both are my dearest friends. I don't wish—"_

_Senko shook her head, cutting off Daemon. Every fiber in her body screamed that she was scared._

_Fear._

_She was a coward—just like how Alaude kept telling her—because she never liked to fight a fight she knew she wouldn't win fairly. Because she always used dirty she stabbed people in their backs to save herself. Because she just wanted a win without having to endanger herself._

_That was why… she knew that it was just one of her ways of running away from reality. From the reality where she has to lose Primo. "But I...—"_

.

"You can always take that back, you know," Elena says to Senko. "Daemon is not happy…"

"I know. But he still has you—and Alaude will have no-one but that prissy right-hand man of his if we let him get married with anyone else or Primo to DeLuca's 'princess'." She snorts.

Elena smiled softly at the woman who now looked so different from the snobbish and arrogant self she was more than a year ago. She has not changed completely, but she opened her heart, warming up to her and becoming less arrogant. Though her bad habits, like bickering with Lampo and G never seem like they are going to change—but Elena is willing to call and think of her as her own little sister.

"Oh, since when have you change this much, dear. You used to be so—"

"Who are you calling prissy, you—"

Two voices exclaimed at the same time, in the very different tone—one feminine and loving, the other masculine and offended—before both voices stopped talking abruptly to look at each other. Senko, glancing at her back to look at Persley, only let out a soft snicker before going back to her job—determined to ignore the man whom she has never truly had a good relationship with.

.

Senko and Elena's relationship was not always smooth. Albeit they overcome and tried to tolerate their differences, there was still times when Elena or Senko can't help but argue. No, they argue more than they get along. They could argue from the smallest things to something very important.

But it was fact that once they agreed on something, it was always hard to sway them because they would defend each other to hell and back. Almost literally.

"No, no, no," Elena practically sang the words to Primo. "I don't hear anything, I don't."

"Elena, please." Primo is almost begging Elena, nudging the woman's sleeve pitifully. "Talk to Senko, I will marry Marietta De Luca—"

"No," Elena says stubbornly. "This will only bring you hell. It is better if Senko and Alaude do this. They, at least, like and understand each other much better than you will Marietta."

"But—"

"Primo, Giotto, please," Elena now looked at Primo, their eyes meeting and Giotto let go of his hold on Elena's sleeve with a defeated sigh.

"Why?" asks Primo.

The lady smiles slightly at Primo before let out a beautiful laugh. "A lot of people love you, Primo," she says. "Alaude does, Daemon does, I do, Senko does, G does, Ugetsu does, Lampo does, Knuckle does, Persley does, your subordinates do, people in the villages do. We will do anything for you because you do so much for us. Offering your hands, smiling at us, releasing us from our shackles, _loving us_… that'swhy, let us… let Senko repay you. You know better than me how she hates to be in debt with other people and you practically dragged her to the sea of debts the time you decided to offer your hand to her without being afraid of being stabbed."

"It isn't… Senko would never stab me—"

"No, you know Senko. You _know_ she will not hesitate to stab people in the back when they are not looking if she dislikes them, if it benefits her… if she feels like she _wants to_," Elena shook her head. "Even now I know that the only people she will never betray are you and Daemon. And the only thing she will never let go of are her family and Vongola. Her family is self-explanatory, Vongola is because you are here, Daemon is because he is she and she is he. But you, Primo? She will never betray you because she feels like you saved her—that there is too much debt for her to repay you. Senko might be a prideful, selfish, egoistical brat—but you are her justice. No, her justice is herself and the happiness of people she ever thought of as important."

Giotto smiled bitterly at Elena, before shaking his head. "Now you are lecturing me on how Senko's mind work, Elena? I am a bit offended for I know her only second best to Daemon." Primo says jokingly, although Elena knows that deep inside, she might have truly offended Primo with her words. Before Elena can apologize, though, Primo continue, "There are a lot of people like me, Elena. But I believe… I believe that Senko… no, I am scared to believe that she will go to that extent for me. Elena, am I truly worthy enough for her to sacrifice her life? Elena, I…"

"It is not sacrifice, Giotto. Never sacrifice."

"… You are right. Senko is too selfish to sacrifice—"

"No, Senko is too _cowardly and greedy_ to lose something without knowing she can get it back…"

.

"_What Primo was most afraid of was that he was hurting his family, that he had robbed something from people he loved. He was too used to giving,sometimes it was hard for him to receive. Primo was kind, too kind, even. That was why he was loved and strong, but that was why… he was weak."_

_._

There are times when Elena thinks her heart will stop beating—one of those times is whenHibari Senko decided to surprise her with impulsive acts that can get her killed. She never really feels the need to worry about the Guardians and Primo—for they usually have plans planted in their heads every time they went to fight, as vague as it is, but plans nonetheless.

But, Senko?

The exact concept of planning and thinking before acting in a fight seems lost to her. Shecould plot the downfall of other people quite well, but in a fight, she relied heavily only on her survival instincts and raw power. And that makes Elena _scared to death for Senko's life_.

"Damn it, what happens with a coward who doesn't want to entera battle if she knows she is going to lose?" Lampo screamed at Daemon when Senko rushed at an opponent with gun positioned to shot her. "I like that Senko better than this! At least that meant I was not the only one who wanted to hide!"

"That Senko disappeared when you goad her enough, nufufufu~" Daemon laughed gleefully, quickly dragging Lampoaway from the crossfire. "Stay put, brat. I am not going to save your sorry ass again."

"OH, SHUT U—GYA!"

G swore when Alaude push him to the ground, evading arrow upon arrow. "Aw, thank you, Alaude," he said before get his own gun out. "Next time, do it gently, will ya?"

"… I only do _it_ gently with Giotto."

"NO DIRTY TALK IN WAR GROUND, MEN!" Giotto shouted from a distance. "Oh shi—Ugetsu! COVER ELENA! PERSLEY!"

Ugetsu quickly ran towards Elena, smiling brightly when he and Persleypositioned themselves in front of Elena. "Alright, Elena?"Ugetsu's bright voice snaps Elena's attention from Senko who was engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with her opponent.

"Save her," urged Elena. "She doesn't know what she'll do. Her anger is controlling her, _again_."

"I know," Persley says bitterly. "But as long as Cappo and Daemon, along with Primo are still not concerned, that mean she is fine… right?" he asked uncertainly at Ugetsu who only laughed brightly before slashing at the opponents who came his way—making sure he didn't kill them.

"Maa, maa, I think she will be fine. I know I won't be fine if I got in her way."

"She is weaker than you!" Lampo, who was suddenly huddled beside Elena screamed. "You would be able to drag her back and save us some problems."

Ugetsushook his head, his grin getting bigger by the second. "No can do, her position is higher than me," he says. "I am in no position to tell her anything in our family, hahahaha!"

"Oh, damn it!"

They suddenly look up to see G swearing, his back to Alaude and Daemon who both look too happy about the battle for their liking. "That bitch is nuts! Alaude, doesn't she know what the word 'tactic' means?"

"Don't ask me," Alaude answered shortly, handcuff after handcuff appearing from nowhere.

"You're that reckless witch's husband!"

"I am not an expert on Senko's mind. Ask Daemon."

"Nufufufu, what? Worried about her, G?"

"Yes," G growled out. "I hate her, but with the way she's going now, she'll be the first one among us who is going to die. And I'm still betting that _you_ will be the first one who tastes the six feet hole in the ground."

"Oh, piss off. _You_ are the master of strategy and tactics here. _You_ teach her," Daemon said, materializing some horrid illusion and laughing gleefully when his opponentscried for their mother.

.

"You didn't need to kill him," Elena saysto Senko who just stared at Elena blankly.

The younger woman flexed her hands with a put out expressionon her face—something that Elena knew often appeared when Senko wanted to make a point to Elena or Primo. "Why?" she finally asked, almost childishly.

"Why?" Elena let out a harsh breath, messaging the frown line in her forehead. "That man must have a family, must have someone waiting for him to come back—"

"So?"

"Oh god, Senko!" Elena snapped. "Won't you think for that man's sake for once and stop being selfish?"

Senko frowned at Elena, hand moving to grab Daemon's sleeves as the man walks past them to talk with Giotto— stopping Daemon who looked at the two women with wonder before deciding to let Senko use him as a human-shield. Sometime Senko was too spoiled for her own good. "Why?" Senko asked again. "It is not as if I have a life-debt to him or his family or anything. I—"

"He is human too, Senko!"

"He is?" Senko exclaimed, mocking surprise. "I didn't notice—maybe because he was trying to kill me."

"What happened?" Giotto suddenly coming between Elena and Daemon—who was shielding Senko from Elena's view."Senko, what?"

Senko's frown getting deeper when she scoffed at Elena—knowing that Primo would take Elena's side on this one."Senko."

"… Elena asked me why I killed that man…"

Giotto would have smiled in fondness at the tone Senko used—like a child who was being scolded by her parents—if not for the graveness of that sentence. Sighing and rubbing his forehead in a manner similar to Elena, Giotto shook his head before motioning at Daemon to move away from Senko. Hesitating to let his so-called-little-sister face those two alone but deciding against it, Daemon moved from Giotto's way, so he couldspeak directly to Senko who stared at Daemon with a face that said_traitor_.

"That's right," Giotto finally said after staring at Senko. "I want to ask the same question. Why?"

"Don't we live in a kill-or-be-killed world?" Senko snapped, looking away from Giotto's sunset colored eyes—she could never control herself when Giotto looked at her like that.

Giotto just stared at Senko, lips a thin line when he shakes his head. Alaude, noticing the rift between his lover and his wife, come to them—leaving the rest of the Guardians on the other side of room, having their wounds treated. Maneuvering between Daemon and an offending piece of furniture, the platinum-blonde haired man stood beside Giotto, putting his hand on the shorter man's back to calm him down. Alaude knows that Giotto needed reassurance when one of his Guardians or subordinatesdid some unnecessary killing—although for Alaude, killing is killing and he prefer to kill his enemies before the enemies killed him, something that he shared with Senko _and_ Daemon but they usually kept down so it wouldn't upset Primo, Elena, and Knuckle who thought of people lives higher than anything else, even their own safety.

"Please understand," Giotto said, still looking at Senko who avoiding his gaze. "They have family—imagine it is you who is in his place, who is in his family, who are waiting for him—"

"Well, I am not."

"Don't talk back just yet," Elena whispered, rubbing her forehead to will the oncoming headache away. "Please, just listen. Senko, don't you remember how you felt when Daemon almost died back then?"

Daemon, flinched because he doesn't want—_he does not want_—to be dragged into this conversation, looking hopelessly at Senko who stared at him with wide eyes. "But that's different," Senko finally said, still locking eyes with Daemon's.

"How so?" Giotto murmured, reaching out to grabs Senko's hand—something that usually only Daemon dared to do because how Senko and people from the west in general preferred to keep intimate physical contact at a minimal. "Because he is not Daemon?Because you don't care for him?"

Senko gave a jerky nod, letting Giotto hold her hand for a minute or so before pulling her hand away and moving closer to Daemon—looking for reassurance. Daemon instantly opened his hand and brought Senko into one armed-hug before noticing what he do and looking uncertainly at Elena—looking for permission. The woman in question sighing in defeat and nodded—Daemon then smiling slightly, pulling the Japanese woman closer.

"I am sorry," Senko finally said after long awkward silence, trying to end the discussion.

Giotto looked ruefully at her, shaking his head. "No, you are not."

"…"

"Aren't you afraid of death?" Giotto asked again.

Senko pulled a face, before shaking her head. "Yes, but… I am afraid of my own death. For people who are close to me… I don't have time and…"

"Kindness," supplied Alaude. "You don't have time and enough place in your heart for another person who you think of as insignificant."

"Talking for both of you?" Giotto said darkly, making Alaude flinch and nod guiltily.

_Make it three, actually_, thought Daemon with a strained smirk.

"I am most afraid of becoming old, actually," Senko said, feeling almost sorry for her husband. "I am afraid of becoming old and useless. Of becoming weak."

"So you mean you prefer to die than become old?" asked Elena in surprise.

"… No… ah, yes. But I would prefer to be alive and young forever, I know that is impossible," Senko quickly added. "But being weak… in my family, that isunacceptable. None of us want to be weak—even my blind brother or my eccentric brother. They might not want the position of head of the family, but they want power, if not for themselves, then for our mother, so she can live the rest of her life as the legal wife of the head of family, as the mother of the head of family, and as the grandmother of the head of family. _I _want power to make sure that when I become old and useless—when _we_ become old and useless—we won't be cast aside because we no longer have any _use nor position_. Grow with a family that thinks that power trumps over anything and death comes for they who weak—natural selection—made me like this. I… Primo, Elena, please _understand_. Not all of us are pacifists like you. I prefer killing rather than getting killed—what's wrong with that?"

"A lot of things are wrong with that," Elena bite. "You will end up in hell and have to be reincarnated."

"_You_ know reincarnation is not _that_ simple," Senko argued. "Not _all_ people can be reincarnated—actually, only a few sick individual who are hated by hell itself—"

"—You know, that's just _what you think_," Daemon argued. "People who were able to escape hell—"

"Oh, enough with the reincarnation talk," Giotto says. "I don't understand and that not the point."

"If you let us explain it might help you in the future," offers Daemon helpfully, with Senko nodding vigorously by his side.

Giotto just glared at both of them, which made Senko quickly hide her face in Daemon's shoulder not unlike a child would to her father. "No, thank you," Giotto said. "I don't see why I need those crazy theories—_no matter how close to death the Mist are_—and you just want to save Senko from this talk. _You_, Daemon, spoil her rotten. Worse than Elena _and_ Ugetsu spoil her together and that saying something."

Daemon shrugged, his chin finding a comfortable spot on top of Senko's head. "Can you blame a guy for trying?" he asks playfully.

Oo~~**~~oO

"Why I ever thought you were a defenseless civilian is beyond me now." Elena muttered at Senko who look ruffled—as if she had just gotten run over by an elephant. "And _what_, pray tell, happened to you? You were just trying to cook."

"…"

The older woman tugged at both of Senko's hands calmly, inspecting the knife wound on the younger's fingers. Tsk-ing when she noticed the calloused hands full of small cuts here and there—old and new—Elena chose to glare at Senko. "Tell me again, what is your gender?"

"Probably a female—if my private parts have any say." mutters Senko, snatching her hands away from Elena as if she had been burned.

"Take better care of yourself." Elena says, trying to grab the wounded hands again.

Senko side stepped Elena, dodging the half-hearted attempts easily with a scowl in her face. The dress that she was forced to wear under Elena's command so she won't damage any of her kimonos fluttered briefly before Senko let out a loud sigh in irritation and let Elena finally get ahold on her hands. "You don't look beautiful like this," Elena says again, healing Senko's hands. "Still wondering how you got cut in both hands while you only held a knife in one."

The Japanese woman has the grace to look sheepish and ashamed ofherself, looking anywhere but at Elena. "A female, with no ability to cook at all—nor do you know how to wash your own clothes. Is the only womanly skill you have sewing and making yourself pretty?"

"Pretty much so," Senko answered easily. "This face held a rather high value for trading."

Elena looks disgusted at the mention of implied political marriage and moves her hands away to pinch Senko's checks. "Why do you sound so proud, I wonder?"

"Maybe because I am?" Senko shoots back. "What is so wrong with being proud of oneself, and the onlyfeature I know good enough to flaunt of? I, most certainly, am still more beautiful than Marietta De Luca."

"… Was it Daemon or Giotto who told you that?"

"… Alaude, actually. I think he is still spiteful of how Marietta De Luca tried to flirt and seduce Primo at the last party and told me that he still can't believe it but he still preferred my face—if I can shut up, stay still, and act pretty. I think that was a good enough compliment, coming from Alaude." the Japanese mumbles, playing with the end of her dress and sitting on a nearby chair in the messy kitchen—curiosity taking over herself. "Daemon always says that you are most beautiful than anyone he has ever meet and Primo always says that _all of you are beautiful_."

"Of course. Both of you are beautiful and handsome if you two would just… _shut up, stay still, and act pretty_. Your faces won't be ruined if you two can apply that. But with the way your mouth and Alaude's run away when pissed… _you especially_, will be the first ones who get killed in our family," Elena says bitterly, dusting a chair before sitting on it gracefully. "Thank you for the compliment, by the way."

Senko winced at Elena's words, pulling the tie on her hair down while Elena inspected the… whatever it is on the plate—outcome of Senko's little'experiment'. "Are you seconding G with the assumption that I will be the first one who dies?" Senko asks Elena, ignoring the mention of her being in the 'family' because no-one listened to her refusals and just told her to stop being in denial already.

"Probably. And where were you at that party when Marietta De Luca tried to seduce Primo? Daemon was looking for you—probably to distract G. If the two of you made a big enough scene with your bickering back then, I am sure even Marietta would stop and watch, then Primo could have run. And Alaude wouldn't be _that_ cross."

"… Hiding."

"Hiding?Seriously. Are you _that_ scared of crowds?"

"I am a shadow—"

Elena sighed in annoyance, flicking the black-_whateverSenkotriedtomake_at Senko—not caring at all about her manner when there was only Senko, who was able to rival even Lampo in a disregarding manner on some of her worst days, to witness her lack of manners—who frowned when the food stuck in her long black hair. "Keep telling yourself that," Elena mutters. "Sometime even your descendant will forget your name."

"Better that way—how do I get rid of this?" Senko asks Elena, tugging the piece of hair where the food had landed and refused to be removed.

"Cut your hair, it will be better," Elena answers quickly, but still reaching out to help Senko tug at the persistent black lump. "Sometime I wonder… don't your hair and clothes hinder the way you fight?"

"I don't have any plans to become a Monk anytime soon—I will cut it when I decide to be one. And I got used to fight with kimono and long hair, most of my enemies back home wore something even worse. Ugh,Chinese people are so…"

.

"Who are the Shimon?"

Persley, who sat in a sofa opposite of where Senko sat, blinked his green eyes in surprise before looking up from the book in his hand to stare at his Cappo's… _wife_.

"Shimon?" Persley repeated the word coldly, thankful that they were alone or he wouldn't dare act ungentlemanly in front of the younger woman.

Senko, for her credit, didn't give any indication that she cared about the tone Persley used with her—in her earlier days in Vongola, she would have exploded with anger if addressed with even the slightest seemingly insulting tone. "I heard Primo talk with G about the Shimon before, I wonder who they are—Primo sounds so fond of them," answesr Senko—who is quite talkative in her own way.

"Ah, figures," says Persley. "You always are extremely jealous of people who are closer to Primo than you are. Not that you ever make any effort to get closer to Primo, _that_ I am thankful for."

Senko's scowl is easily ignored by Persley who then starts telling Senko about Shimon—at first lazily but then picking up his pace and becoming full ofpassion as he tells the tale. It was easy to see that Persleywas also quite taken withCozart Shimon and his family.

"In conclusion," Persley says, his handsome face flushed with happiness. "Primo won't be happy if something happens to them. Vongola is able to have a place here because of Shimon's support—in one way or another."

"Oh…"

"Persley, do you see—ah, here you are."

Alaude's amused voice, coming from the door, makes both Senko and Persleyturn their heads to look at the man.

"Alaude?" Senko asks, one eyebrow raised at the man who was leaning on the doorframe coolly—while Persley hurried to stand.

"Is there something you want, Cappo?" asksPersley, nervously looking at the stack of unfinished paperwork. "I am sorry to say that if it is regarding more paperwork, I can't help."

The Frenchman shakes his head lightly, make his platinum-blonde hair sway in a way most womanwould have considered alluring, but Elena thought of as annoying. "No, I am looking for Senko," he pointed at his wife who suddenly had a guilty, yet rebellious look on her face. "Giotto is asking for your report, Senko."

"… Daemon does it for me."

"You always make Daemon do your report." Alaude says, crossing his hands in front of his chest—his wedding and Vongola rings gleaming under the light from the big window in the room. "Do it yourself for once."

"… I _can't_."

"You _won't_, you lazy woman."

And then, both of them continue to bicker away—Senko standing from her seat and following Alaude out, never pausingin their childish argument even when Alaude hits Senko on the head and vice-versa.

Persley, looking at their departure with an amused smile, just shook his head in wonder. "Ah, ah," the dark haired Frenchman said. "I should have known she was hiding from her report. What a pair of childish siblings, my Cappo and his wife are."

.

_The dream will end._

_It _will_ end._

_In this completely white world, they will open their eyes._

_And they will no longer be able to see their sky._

_Their beloved sky._

_They will…_

_Accompanied by their own shadow._

_And wondering…_

_Wondering…_

_Will anyone remember them?_

_Will anyone be able to remember them?_

_Will they be forgotten?_

_Will the 'someone' still be waiting for them to come back?_

_And inside the stream of time—endless time…_

_Some will find peace._

_Some will wander._

_Some will keep walking towards their goal._

_Some will… wallow in self pity._

_In a far away future._

Oo~~**~~oO

Elena and Senko could never remember a time where they had felt_this _angry.

No, more than angry, they felt betrayed.

"Why?" Elena snapped at Giotto—something that rarely, if ever, happened—who flinched at the harsh gaze the two women sent him.

And not for the first time, Giotto feels like he has let the others down and wants to beg for their forgiveness.

Senko and Elena's combined hurt and angry looks are still nothing compared to how Alaude looks when Giotto tells him about his engagement to Marietta De Luca (_ablank facethat hid the anger, hurt, betrayal, love…_) but it still makes Giotto's insides twist with pain and guilt. The sunset colored eyes nervouslywatch the pair of women who stood side by side—one of them looking away from Primo, as if the mere sight of the older man hurt her eyes, while the other stared straight at the apologetic eyes with a harsh gaze that was more suited for the unusually cowering woman's face than in the usually gentle female. "Why?" Elena asks again, more louder than before. Oh, Giotto was just glad he had decided to tell Daemon separately.

"It is for the greater good." Giotto answers with false bravado, his eyes shining with resolution and they know anything they say won't change his mind. "If I do this, hopefully the attack will be subdued and… and the casualties will come to a minimum—the De Luca are toopowerful…"

"I married Alaude not for you to throw away my… my… _this_ and to have… _ties_ with the De Luca in the end." Senko says hopelessly.

And Giotto can't help but want to reach out and apologize again and again to both Senko and Elena. _It would be better if she reacted like usual and got angry at me… shouted at me…_ thought Giotto. _This Senko was just… not Senko._

And then Senko—the cowardly, yet prideful woman—bolts from the room, leaving Giotto and Elena alone.

"… You hurt her pride greatly," murmurs Elena. "And my trust trust. I can't believe I have to say this… this is something Alaude, Daemon, Senko, or even G might say. But… you know you can always destroy De Luca, if…"

"I can't."

"Primo, stop being stubborn. You will, if you already haven't, hurt yourself and the people who love you."

.

"But Elena, I am human too—" Vongola Primo whispered to the empty room—Elena long gone in a flurry of dress and anger.

.

"_Giotto is selfless… so selfless it is bordering selfish…" Alaude had said._

.

The wedding is beautiful—definitely more beautiful and crowded than the private affair Senko and Alaude's wedding was.

But definitely grimmer.

Happy faces are rare and far between, even Ugetsu looked like he didn't have a good nighst sleep for at least a week—and Lampo is happy to say that yes, Ugetsu isn't sleeping well for anyone who ask him. And yes, Ugetsu isn't happy about the wedding, and again, yes, Ugetsu spent all his frustration training all night _right outside Lampo's tower_. And yes, that was the reason Lampo looked like he didn't get enough sleep either.

Senko is silent—not her usual _I am silent but I will talk anyway_ way, but _I am silent and I don't want to talk_ way made G even crankier than he already was. Elena and Knuckle are conversing darkly with each other—the usual sunny duo so gloomy that they could be mistaken for Daemon and Senko, if Daemon and Senko were not gloomier than usual. Daemon and Alaude were strangely civil, although the Mist looked murderous, while the Cloud just looked… tired.

Giotto, who stood in front of the altar with Persley as his best-man—none of his Guardians wanted to be his best-man for the same unspoken reason and thus the role was forced upon Persley even though Alaude's right-hand man was no more willing than the other Guardians—fidgeting nervously under the occasional glare his angry family members sent him.

Giotto can't say he didn't feel sorry for them—or for himself. But Giotto is more concerned about the civilians who were getting killed each day under the De Luca's harsh way to the top.

When the ceremony finally starts and the bride stood beside him in front of the altar, Giotto swears he can _hear_ the sneer on Senko's face and the disappointed look on Elena's.

And when they finally say their vows and 'I do's followed by kissing the bridge—Giotto can see Alaude, Daemon, Elena, G, Senko, and Lampo all walking out of the and Knuckle only staying for the purpose of being polite, from the look on their face.

Giotto still can't erase the hurt that flashed on Alaude's usually bright bluish-silver eyes before the man stalked away and turned his back on Giotto.

Oo~~**~~oO

_There is no reason for me to let you go._

.

"_If you want, I will save you," Giotto said to Senko, extending his hand to the younger woman._

_And that was… the hand that was offered to her… and the sincere brightly colored eyes…_

_._

"_I will give my everything to you—be it my body or my soul… if that means I can repay the debt I have to you."_

_._

"_There is nothing like debt between us," he once said to her—a small, genuine smile on his handsome face. "Because you are my family."_

_._

"_Senko, you are my friend," the beautiful woman said, twirling around in her beautiful dress and laughing happily. "I love you, because you are my family. And we will be friends forever."_

_._

"_I love you, and you love me—not as much as I love Giotto nor as much as you love yourself."_

"_But that is enough for us, Alaude."_

_._

_They don't need words—because Daemon and Senko understand each other, just like they understand themselves._

_._

"_Will you… be here for me?"_

"_Elena…"_

"_You and Daemon—are both most beloved friends…"_

"_We love you."_

_._

"_Everyone, I love you all… you are my most important people."_

_And Giotto smiled, opening his hands. The hands that accept hands that embrace them._

_And they love him as much as he loves them._

_Because he is their sky._

_._

_I am waiting for you at the end of the dream._

_._

_Just like snow…_

_You are cold, yet so beautiful…_

_Just like the night…_

_You are fearsome, yet so protective…_

_Just like summer…_

_You are warm, yet deadly…_

_You… you are everything…_

_Yet you are nothing…_

_._

"_ELENAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

_._

That was the first time they saw Daemon cry.

_To the day where we will stand side by side._

And that was the first time they ever lost someone from their inner-circle.

_The sky is painted in the color of blood._

And the first time Giotto tried to shut himselfoff completely.

_Sayonara… sayonara…_

"It's your fault! It's your fault!"

_And where everything began to disappear…_

"It's my fault… It's my fault…"

_The perfect world is nowhere to be seen_.

"I killed Elena… I killed Elena… I am sorry, I am so sorry, Daemon…"

_And then, just like a broken mirror…_

"If only Vongola were stronger… I will make Vongola stronger!"

_My dear friend…_

That day was…

_Her beautiful voice singing a gentle lullaby._

…the day Elena was gone forever.

_And her beautiful eyes no longer saw anything._

"_I love you," she had once said._

_Her laugh will no longer be heard._

"_I love you, Daemon."_

Senko stood in silence, looking at the funeral with a blank look on her face.

"What are you doing, hiding in the shadows?" Alaude asks, appearing beside Senko from seemingly nowhere.

The younger woman just shrank further into the shadows, hand gripping the tree that stood between her and Alaude. "I can't cry." she says with a rough voice. "I don't know why…"

_The lonely sky can be seen from the blood-stained window._

They can see Daemon bowing low in front of Elena's coffin, whispering something to the unmoving body with bloodshot eyes.

_Elena was still beautiful…_

_Beautiful even after death…_

_And her beauty will be eternal._

"Daemon has been acting strange even before Elena… was gone."

"… I know," Senko says. "And itscares me."

_A vast land…_

_Full of innumerable beautiful flowers…_

"… He will betray Giotto."

"_Please do not forget the fact that I existed."_

And suddenly tears began to fall from Senko's eyes.

Drop by drop.

_She was standing alone…_

_A solitary figure in the beautiful field._

"A… aa… aah…"

"_Senko, Daemon is acting strange. I don't like it."_

And suddenly, Senko found herself in her husband's embrace. "It will be fine." Alaude whispers, patting Senko's hair in a gentle manner.

"_I don't know since when, but Daemon has begun to… misunderstand. Daemon started to… stray away from the path we walktogether. Senko, I don't like this."_

"U… ugh…"

Hesitantly, Senko hugs Alaude back and lets the man—the man she once vowed to be the only one she would never let see her weakness—muffled her cries and pained sobs. Let the man hide her tears.

Before Alaude had to go and comfort Giotto.

_Time is unstoppable._

_She knows she will die someday—one way or another._

Then there is the sound of singing—so sad… so breathtaking… so beautiful…

Yet it makes her cry more, and Alaude just lest her. Silently encouraging her to cry more.

And then there is Marietta De Luca's voice—making both Senko and Alaude stiffen—giving the command for the people to lower the coffin.

_Elena's figure began to sway with the setting sun._

_Yet, when she looked back…_

Alaude could hear three voices letting out pained cries when—he knew without having to look back—people began to bury Elena. Tightening his hold on the figure in his arms, the Frenchman could imagine—_too clearly_—Giotto and Daemon thrashing in similar way in the hands of the people who tried to calm them.

_Her smile was so beautiful it almost took their breath away._

"Elena's ring… was destroyed in that attack." Alaude says, when Senko begins to calm down. "Giotto decided to bury Elena with it. Senko… you never said anything to Elena."

"… She is no longer," she answers between sobs. "The one I can talk with is just corpse, a soulless body."

_But she is so, so far away._

And Alaude can't help but let tears fall from his eyes too—because it is true. Elena was no longer.

Elena… their…

_Daemon was laughing… and everything was perfect…_

_Once upon a time…_

"But it will help."

"… It will make me sad. I don't want to see her lifeless face… because it will make me want to see her smile…"

_Her hand was reaching out for his back…_

"You are a heartbreakingly sad individual, Hibari Senko."

"So are you, Alaude. So are you."

_So is Daemon._

_So is Giotto._

_So is everyone who getsleft behind._

Senko watches Alaude move away, his back facing her when the platinum-blonde hair swayed in the wind in the way she knew annoyed Elena greatly, although Alaude himself couldn't help it. She thenmoved her gaze to watch Daemon, who knelt in front of the fresh grave—his gloved fingers tracing the tomb lovingly, sadly, not ready to let go. And then, because she can't stand that image of Daemon, she seeks the small figure of Vongola Primo. And what she sees makes her choke back another flood of tears.

_Please don't let Elena fade away…_

Resentment, grief, anger—Primo looked so fragile, yet so strong. Standing, surrounded by the crowd, his posture was perfect but there is unmistakable guilt in his eyes—Senko can see it even from the distance and that made everything worse.

Daemon blamed Primo and himself… and Primo put all the blame on himself.

If only Marietta was not here… If only Alaude couldgo and comfort Primo freely without having to wait for a private moment…

Maybe Primo wouldn't look so miserable.

_Memories of Elena…_

But the selfish part of Senko is glad—because if Alaude wasn't here, she wouldn't be able to stay standing.

And looking at Daemon, Senko wishes she could help him.

_The blue sky they gazed upon together is no longer…_

_But replaced with a sepia-tainted sky…_

But she can't.

Because she is a she is scared. Because she can't bring herself to move, to stand in front of Elena's grave.

Because she… _doesn't want to accept the truth that Elena is gone_.

No matter what she said to Alaude, the truth is just that.

If she talked to Elena's corpse—she would be forced to accept the truth that Elena was no longer there.

_The past where they want to go back to, but can't…_

"I am sorry… Daemon."

And she leaves Daemon—and she runs away.

Never looking back.

_The single petal of farewell vanished._

Oo~~**~~oO

Marietta De Luca is a beautiful woman. The most beautiful woman Senko had ever laid her eyes on—even more beautiful than her half-sibling back home, who is said to be the most beautiful in the Ryuuku Kingdom.

Not only beautiful, but also kind, polite, and fragile.

Marietta had beautiful, straight black hair rivaling Senko's own. Jade colored eyes even brighter than Lampo's.A laugh that tinkled and was even more melodious than Elena's.

Not only that, Marietta—Primo's wife—was downright kind and naïve.

The woman, younger than Senko and yet so mature it was hard to tell, always talked to Senko politely even though she was considered below Marietta—just like the woman's father often spat to Senko (_"That filthy Asian woman is not even fit to kiss your feet, Vongola Primo!"_). Marietta also never looked down on Senko—if anything, the woman _idolized_ Senko (and Elena, when she was still alive) and liked Senko more than normal (_"I think of you as my own sister, Senko!"_) for someone who was hated by the subject of her affection.

"And here I thought G talked to me like I am some prostitute Primo picked up on the way." Senko once complained bitterly at Elena. "That De Luca person is really—"

Elena sneered that time, flipping her hair haughtily. "He also treats _me_ no better than his servant—and I am a _duke's daughter_… ugh I can't believe I mentioned my father's status _again_." Elena was saying, a mixture of a scowl and pained expression on her face.

Unknown to them, Marietta had accidentally heard their conversation and then confronted her father. From that day on, the De Luca senior never gave any harsh remarks to either Senko or Elena anymore—although, from his face, he very much would love to.

Needles to say, that was only one of the examples why Marietta De Luca _is_ a kind and fair human.

And that annoyingly kind and gentle woman was so damn sensitive it almost made Senko want to curse aloud.

That started with an innocent—or not—question from Marietta. "Senko, don't you think your husband and mine act funny around each other sometimes?"

Not long after Elena's death—Primo and everyone else was still trying to cope with their loss, Senko included—and Marietta was already asking something Senko wished never to come to light. She would very much keep Alaude and Giotto's so-called affair wrapped up and never face the drama it might unfold. Especially when she is still depressed after Elena's…departure, and Daemon was not helping.

"Is that so? I never noticed." answered Senko coldly—she never once warmed up or was… _not exactly rude but not polite either_ to Marietta—why she never took the hint that Senko hated her is something beyond everyone in their vicinity.

_They all_ know_ that De Luca's father is beyond rude to Senko and Elena because he knows they hate his daughter and would like nothing better but to sabotage her marriage with Primo._

"Um, I guess… you really never noticed?"

Senko shrugged—actually, she does notice it. Alaude and Primo now are often found together, and closer than usual due to Alaude's attempts to distract Primo from the loss of Elena's presence. But that was nothing new.

Actually, Alaude and Giotto were acting even more strange _before_ Marietta De Luca stepped into their lives.

_What is strange for this woman, is normal for us,_ thought Senko bitterly when she walked away from Marietta without another word, approaching Persley who had just come out from one of the rooms in that corridor.

Senko never noticed the half pitying-half pained gaze Marietta hadin her eyes.

.

When G cornered her one day with a demand if she knew something was wrong with Daemon, Senko can't help but finally snap and let her emotions run wild.

"Of course I know something wrong with Daemon—_everyone,_ even Lampo knows something is wrong with Daemon! You don't need to ask me like that! You know, ever since Elena has been gone, Daemon is even _morewrong_ than usual!"

Glaring at G, the Japanese woman feel her clenched fists trembling violently in the urge to just punch G in his _admittedly_ handsome face. The red-haired male scoffed at Senko—finally remembering why he was never able to completely like this overgrown bratty child. "You know that's not what I mean," he hissed, barely able to stop himself from just grabbing Senko who—_no matter how much she denied it_—was still_scared_ of most physical contact that didn't include fighting, Daemon, Primo, or Alaude.

"I am not _scared_of physical touches." Senko scowled at G—who just realized that he had said that aloud. "It is just not in our tradition to let a man touch a woman easily."

"Yeah, and you left your country anyway—get used to it."

"YOU!"

"Shut up—you still haven'tanswered my question!" growls G.

Senko glarres down at the floor before huffing and saying quickly, "I know something's wrong—but I don't know what and frankly speaking, I don't _want_ to know either."

G is taken aback, it is unusual for Senko to admit that she doesn't want to know something—especially something concerning_Daemon_. And he decided to voice his opinion.

"Don't start," Senko almost begged G, when the Storm Guardian asked her if she wanted to help Primo. "Please G, don't make me do it."

"What? What is it, Senko?"

The long haired woman bit her lip, eyes darting around in a rare show of nervousness before she hurriedly said, "I don't want to know anything. Please don't tell me anything. If I know anything—I'll have to leave. Please, listen to me G, this one and only, this one time. I put my loyalty in both Primo and Daemon—and _I can't choose between them_. So leave me out from any plans you have against Daemon, and I won't be included in any plan against Primo."

"Coward! You're just running away from your responsibility!"

"I know, and you know that already. I am _not_ strong—not in _that_ sense. I _can't_."

.

_I am too scared to face Daemon—and I am too scared to turn my back on him either._

_So I am just running away._

_._

"It is fine if you don't want to know," Daemon said to her—his once kind eyes, hardened into something Senko can't bear to look at.

"I am sorry."

"Don't. You are me—I understand you more than you understand yourself, just like you understand me more than I understand myself. Senko, just remember this…"

"I… love you too, Daemon."

"Yes, and we both love Elena, Primo and _once _we loved Vongola—"

"I still—"

"Senko."

"Daemon—don't."

"If you can't stand it anymore—know one thing… you can always run away. And I won't hold it against you."

"I… thank you."

"Senko. Until the end…"

"Until the end, Daemon."

.

_I will be with you, until the end—even if I am not by your side._

_Even if no-one will ever forgive you, even if the others forget about you…_

_Because now, after Elena is gone…_

_We only have each other._

… _Friends…?_

_Yes._

_Until the end._

Oo~~**~~oO

Senko looked blankly at the body wholay between her, Primo, and the woman who dared to call herself Primo's wife.

_Blood._

_A pool of blood._

_Platinum-blonde hair streaked with the red substance._

_Bluish-silver eyes watchingthe fading world with a slowly dimming light._

_Mouth moving, trying to form words._

_A bloody knife in his chest…_

_._

_And then there is another body._

_The body of a woman._

_And Daemon is screaming._

_Screaming._

_Screaming vengeance against the people who had killed Elena._

_Cursing his weakness._

_At _her_ weakness._

_At Vongola's weakness._

_And Elena's eyes._

_Bright and beautiful._

_Never again._

_Never again will theyopen…_

_._

The silence between the four is only broken by the harsh breathing of the man who lay in a pool of his own blood. His hand slowly reaching for Senko.

And Senko let her own hands wrapped around her stomach—trying to calm herself before she let herself break. To scream, to run at Alaude, to kneel beside him, to grasp his hand, to cry.

To cry.

_Not again_.

She thought, while crying nonsense in broken Japanese—cursing herself for her uselessness.

_Don't go_.

She wanted to say. But she can't. She knows Alaude is beyond saving now.

Her husband is dying.

Her hand, her clothes… she doesn't care if they become strained with his blood…

Because…

Because…

And she can do nothing.

"My… child…"

Senko nodded dumbly at Alaude, pressing the cold hand to her stomach. "Yes," Senko says "The child is here… just wait for a bit. Seven months… okay? Please wait for seven months… Alaude… Alaude… please…"

"Sorry… can't…"

"Nononononono." Senko chants, suddenly switching to angry Japanese. _"Don't, you idiot. Don't. Don't leave me. Stupid Alaude, don't give up. Oh god, pleasepleaseplease… DON'T LEAVE GIOTTO!"_

"Gio…tto…"

_._

_And those bluish-silver eyes closed…_

_Fell shut to the world forever…_

_._

_Just like that, those blue eyes…_

_Never again…_

_._

_Why… why are you smiling so happily…?_

_Why…_

_You and Elena both…_

_Don't you want to live?_

_Don't you…_

_Feel sad…?_

_For leaving the people who love you…_

_For leaving the people who you love?_

_._

_Elena, why did you leave Daemon all alone?_

_._

… _Alaude, if you are gone, I can't fulfill my promise…_

_Oo~~**~~oO_

"_Senko, promise me?"_

"_Elena?"_

"_Please... take care of Daemon, won't you?"_

_._

"_I promise I will help the two of you be happy, to be together."_

"_Don't, Senko. You won't be able to die if you break that promise."_

"… _Shut up, Alaude."_

_._

_In the end… I can't… do anything for you both._

_._

_I'm sorry._

Oo~~**~~oO

"It's okay, Senko, it's okay," Marietta says, a scared smile apperaingon her beautiful face when she saw Senko cradling Alaude's hand to her chest—Giotto is still slumped on the floor, too shocked to move. "He didn't love you, see? Now you can be happy, you're free now. I did this for the two of us. He cheated on you, you know—he tried to seduce _my_ husband. Senko, Senko, now you are free."

Giotto can feel something cold and heavy fall in his stomach. He can't move. His eyes are glued to the unmoving form of his lover.

Shuddering when he finally registers what had happened, Giotto brings his trembling hands and wrap them around himself.

And then he screams.

Tears fall freely from his eyes—he wants to look away but he can't. His glazed sunset eyes dimmed with tears and locked on his lover's body. And he cursed himself.

.

Senko suddenly moved.

Pulling the knife from Alaude's chest in one swift movement, the woman rushed to Marietta who stared at her with wide, beautiful eyes. Frozen in surprise, Marietta is only able to let out a loud scream when the knife she previously used to stab Alaude found its placein her heart. "W-why…" she choked out, blood dripping from her mouth. "I-I did this for you, too… I—I honestly…"

"You don't know anything," Senko snarls, her face wet with tears and she twists the knife cruelly—smirking in sadistic satisfaction when Marietta let out another scream. "You killed my husband, my child's _father_—you killed _Primo's_lover."

"You—knew…?"

"SENKO! NO!"

Giotto finally screamed, scrambling to get up and pulling Senko away from Marietta. "Oh god… what…"

"Gio—"

"JUST DIE!" Senko screamed, thrashing in Primo's arms. "YOU! You've made my child fatherless, you…"

_You dared to take Alaude away from Primo…_

_._

_From me._

_Not again._

_Not again._

_Not after Elena…_

_Not after half of Daemon…_

_Not Alaude too…_

_._

_Scared…_

_It's scary…_

_I'm scared…_

_I don't want to be alone…_

_Not anymore._

_Primo…_

_Primo…_

_._

And then Senko cried, ignoring Marietta's body that fell to the floor and turns around to hug Primo, letting the older man hug her back.

And then they are crying.

Crying endlessly.

Oo~~**~~oO

"_Everything just happened at the same time… it is just coincidence that it happenedat the same time as Daemon's _madness_."_

Oo~~**~~oO

"Mother."

The white-haired woman looked up to see her son walk to where she sat, the cold bluish-silver eyes of her son brightening when he sees the two boys who sat around her. "Kamui," the woman nodded, while the two boys hurried to their feet and tackled their father.

"I hope these two didn't disturb you, Mother," Kamuisays, shaking his head at his sons antics.

The old woman smiled slightly, her sharp brown eyes following the way his son's platinum-blonde hair was disturbed by the wind.

Her son.

Kamui.

Who took after everything from his father—except his lean body and pale skin.

"No, I was… just telling them."

"… An old story?"

Senko looked at her son with a fond smile. "Why, of course." she said softly, her wrinkled face morphing to a gentle expression her younger self was never able to produce. "Now, take them away."

"Grandma!" One of the boys whined, while the other looked at his father with hopeful eyes.

"Stop bothering your Grandmother." Kamui said sternly to his sons. "Go to Ieyasu-san's grave."

"Yes, Father."

The boys walked quickly away from their father and grandmother, leaving both of them in silence. "Mother," the young man said slowly, not looking at his mother and keeping his gaze steadily on his sons. "I love you."

_Even though I am a coward who ran away?_

"I love you, Mother," Kamui repeated, as if knowing what his mother was thinking.

"… I love you, son. I love you too."

_Thank you…_

.

"_ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY? ARE YOU?"_

_Senko stared at Giotto, her eyes wide and her hands trembling at sight of the man who stood in front of her with wild eyes. "Why?" Giotto finally asks. "Why?"_

"… _Elena is gone," Senko whimpered. "Daemon is… like that. Alaude is also gone. I… Primo, please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't keep my promise—"_

_Giotto shookhis head, his golden hair swaying wildly. "No. Don't," he begged. "Please—you are… the only one left from Alaude is with you—"_

"_I can't. If I stay, I have to choose between you and Daemon," Senko says, biting her lips. "Please, I can't do that. I love you both. Please, please let me run away. I can do everything, Primo. Everything. I can do everything but this. I can't choose between you and Daemon. I am not Elena… I am not strong. It's killing me… please, if you ever loved me… if you ever thought of me as your family—"_

"_But I'm also scared. I'm so scared. I can't let Daemon do it. But… but I love him too. I love you, too. Oh god, Senko. Take me with you. Please."_

"… _No, Primo, no. Please. You are not one to run away. If you go with me… I will have betrayed Daemon. I can't. I can't betray either of you."_

"_Senko, you are awfully selfish." The tone is resigned, quiet with sorrow._

"_I know, I am sorry."_

_Oo~~**~~oO_

_I want to see you._

_Once again._

_Just once more…_

_Daemon._

_._

_Ka-clong_

There is the sound of bamboo meetingone another.

_Ka-clong_

And she closes her dull brown eyes, trying to remember the days when she was still young.

_Ka-clong_

When she met with a man with brilliant sunset colored eyes and a kind smile.

_Ka-clong_

When she goes with her cousin, she drifts away from home because of her anger and selfish need to the town called Sicily.

_Ka-clong_

When the man she once, and still, called her best friendwould drag her along with another very, very dear and beautiful woman.

_Ka-clong_

To a time when it was not the sound of bamboo but the splash of water from the fountain in the middle of a grand mansion's garden.

_Ka-clong_

When the Vongola was still the Vongola was still true to _his… her… their_ dear sky's will.

_Ka-clong_

And the old woman remembers the day… the day when she stood quietly in the shadow watching them—a dysfunctional but happy, very happy family—laughing together. When she was an unwilling part of their little family… When she was just an observer who intruded on them just for her own selfish whim…

_Ka-clong_

It is no longer.

.

"_I am sorry…"_

.

Hibari Senko had gone to the other side at the age of seventy six—surprisingly outliving her surrogate family, except Daemon, who kept living although was not living at the same time. Leaving one son, two grandsons and two older brothers, Senko died peacefully on a fine morning in the winter. Or that was what people assumed due to the sudden and calm death.

No one knew that she had gone with so much regret due to the fact that she couldn't keep her promise. Due to the fact that she was never really able to make Primo and Alaude truly to the fact that she was never able to meet with her other self once more.

Senko has a lot of regret—yet the fact that she can do nothing for those regrets remain unchanged.

.

And just like how she would have it—her name was long forgotten.

.

_Isn't that a befitting punishment for I someone who couldn't even fulfill a single promise to anyone?_

_._

_I can't… sleep just yet…_

_I can't… before they…_

_._

"_But I… wish only for your happiness, Primo. For I love you and I, too, love Alaude similar with how one would have loved ones sibling. I did this, not only for the two of you, but for Vongola. Vongola is like my own family—if it is to be destroyed only because one loves another, I will be most annoyed. So, please, let me do this and I swear I will do anything for you two to be together—to make you happy. It is my selfishness, and you never deny my wishes—so please… let me… do this to pay back everything you have done for me. I don't like owing people, you know…"_

_._

_Before they come together again…_

_._

_._

_._

* * *

_The End_

* * *

_._

_._

* * *

_EPILOGUE_

* * *

Slanted caramel eyes blinked at his father slowly. Small hands gripped the sleeve of the older man's kimono in a strong grip. Slowly, the young child opened his mouth and said, "Father—that…"

The dark haired man tilted his head, a small smile appearing on his face. "Yet you know, I was born because of Vongola—and your Dad was born for Vongola. But then, what does that make you, son?"

"I was… born to continue their will—for Father and Dad, because I am loved and a sign of love from two different generations. Primo and Decimo."

Hibari Kyouya let his smile spread across his face, a mere smirk to any outsider. He once hated Alaude—hated the one who dared to invade his memory, messing with his feeling for Tsunayoshi. He still remembers the day when he was but a teenager—confused of his own feelings… getting help from people he usually wouldn't ever usually go to, just to ease his doubts.

It was a long journey—but it was fine. He was even able to thank his ancestors now. He still yet had to understand and had no way of knowing the exact events that happened in the past… But he knows the pieces he relays to his son are enough… enough to keep the little boy from falling into darkness and continue his Dad's path.

Hibari Ieyasu—his, and Tsunayoshi's, future…

And maybe, just maybe, that woman whose name is long forgotten and Elena… will be… happy.

* * *

.

.

.

**A/N: It finished, finished finished~ I don't know why the heck I wrote this but oh yay it finished. Anyway, I will have the link for some pictures to accompany this picture later IN MY PROFILE or you can go to my pixiv and just look for it~ I am sorry if you guys feel tired to read this story, I was amazed by the length and I am sure no one really want to read this much in one go lol I am sorry for anything that irk you.**


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